Aerial machine.



J. BEARD.

AERIAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1909.

950,421 Patented Feb.22, 1910. 1/

haw/4K ropes 10 leading JAMES BEARD, VETERANS HOME, CALIFORNIA.

AERIAL MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed January 2, 1909. Serial No. 470,519.

To alL whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES BEARD, citizen of the United States, residingat Veterans Home, in the county of Napa and State of California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Aerial Machines, of which thefollowing, is a specification.

My invention relates to aerial machines.

It consists of a frame adapted to cover the operator and motor, withsuitable guiding mechanisms, and a vertical shaft havin a horizontallyrevoluble propeller of pecu iar construction, which propeller is a socapable of forming a parachute when desired.

It also comprises combinations of parts and details of constructionwhich will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which-.

Figure. 1 is a side elevation, partially in section. Fig. 2 is a planview of the lower planes and frame-work. Fig. 3 is a top plan view ofFig. 1 ma reduced scale.

A is a vertically disposed frame having suflicient depth, carryingjournal-boxes 2 at top and bottom, Within which boxes 21 vertical shaft3 is mounted and revoluble. Beneath the lower part of the frame a motoris mounted, and by means of bevel gear, or other suitable mechanism, thepower of the motor may be transmitted to revolve the vertical shaft, andwith it the propeller; which will be more fully described hereafter, .othe front of the frame are hinged bars 5, the ends of which areconnected by a link or links 6. This frame may be covered with lightwoven fabric, and it serves as a sort of keel to assist in maintaininthe upright position of the apparatus. rom the rear of the frame extendsimilarly hinged or pivoted bars 7, and t0 the rear ends of these bars arudder-frame 8 is connected. The upper and lower bars of thisrudder-frame are pivoted to the rearwardly extending bars 7, and atransverse from it forward to a point within eas reach of the operator,who is convenient y seated at 11 on the main frame. Suitable levers, nothere shown, serve to control the motor, which may be of any suitablecharacter, sufliciently light and strong for the purpose for which it isdeev The upper end of thevertigal shaft 3, as a hub 12 of suitablelength,v and to double tiller 9 has tiller and will exten the top andbottom of this hub are hinged the arms. 13. The outer ends of thesearmsare connected by links 14; and by reason of thehinging of the arms inthe hub, they may drop-down so that they lie approximately parallel withthe vertical shaft; the connection with the hub and the links at the endacting with the main bars in the manner of a parallel ruler, so that themain bars will be substantially close together when the arms hangdownwardly, but when they are thrown outwardly by centrifugal forcecaused by the revolution of the shaft,

the will resent substantially rectangular out ines. f these'sets of barsI have shown four, and the upper bar of each member 1s connected withthe lower bar of the next contiguous one, by suitable light, flexiblefabric 12; and when all the bars are thus connected, the connectingfabric stands at an incline between each top bar and the next adjacentlower bar in the rear, thus, forming an inclined blade which, when theshaft is revolved,'will cause the air to strike the lower inclinedsurfaces of these planes, and thus provide a force to lift theapparatus. Between the upper and lower bars of each of these framesextends a flap 13 of flexible fabric, the upper edge of which is fixedto the upper bar, while the lower edge is left free, so that the fabricmay swin into a position substantially parallel .with t einterconnecting inclined surfaces of the, propeller. This allows the airto escape freely above the upper surfaces of these propeller blades, sothat in rapid revolution there is no obstruction formed by these flaps.Around the peripheral connecting links of these arms is fixed a band 15,also of flexible fabric, and these fabrics are all readily foldable, sothat when the apparatus is not in motion the arms forming the ropellerwill immediately drop, by reason of their hin ed connections with thehubs, and will t us han substantially or approximately paralle with thedriving shaft 3.

'The main frame of the apparatus may have legs or supports of anydescription, as shown at 16; and when it is to be started, the motor isengaged with the driving gears of the vertical shaft, thus causing it torevolve with any desired ra idit The propeller arms will then immediatey spread and rise about their hin ed connectlons with the hub, theinclined connecting fab.-

ric to form the blades or propellers, which, acting upon the air withsufiicient force of revolution and area of surface,-raise the machinebodily from the ground; the air acting on the lower surfaces of theconnecting webs, and being allowed to escape freely between the barsabove these surfaces. If for any reason the apparatus should be incondition to descend, by reason of stopping the motor, the extendedconnecting webs of the propellers will bear upon the air, and as the airwill be inclined to escape up the inclined lower surfaces and betweenthe upper and lower bars of each propeller arm, the loosely attachedflaps will swing backwardly and cover these open spaces, thus formingpockets to prevent an easy escape of the air. These surfaces will'alsobelly upward somewhat, and thus increase the buoyant parachute-likeaction, while the band extending around the outer periphery of the armsprovides a sufficient depth to complete the pocket and to retain theair, so that the device will then act very completely as a parachute.

To propel the apparatus, in conjunction with the lifting propellers, -Ihave shown aeroplanes 18 which are pivoted to the main body or frame Aand extend rearwardly upon each side of the frame which carries therudder. When the apparatus is moved forwardly through the air, theseplanes, if inclined downwardly from their fulcrum points, will act uponthe air in such a manner as to tilt the apparatus slightly with the headdownward, and in this position the propellers and the propeller shaftwill also be tilted, to a certam' extent, so that the propellers willthen revolve at an angle, and in ad- 'diti'omto their lifting qualitywill also act to dri've the machine forward. Other propellers, not hereshown, may be mounted upon horizontal, or approximately horizontal,

shafts, and act in conjunction with the previously descrlbedapparatus topropel it. If it is desired tore-verse the movement of the apparatus,the aeroplanes 18 may be lifted about their hinged points so as toincline up-" wardly, and in this position they will act, if theapparatus is driven rearwardly, to tilt -it in that direction, thusassisting in producing an opposite movement to that previouslydescribed.

Inorder to have the device act as a paraformed by the wing ab'rics12 bywhich the vessel is' buoyed up. In case of stop ing the machine while inmidair and using t e vanes as alparachute', the upward rush of, air

against the inclined planes12 will force the fabric flaps 13 backwardinto vertical posi-. tion, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and

bringing the bottom rods 15 with one end against the hub and the other.against the outside vertical uprights 14 of the'radial frames.Consequently sealed pockets will be formed between each of-the verticalfiaps'13, flap 12 and outside rim sheet 15.

19 represent cords or guy lines by which the frame members. 567,8 areprevented from flying upward during flight. Releasing these stay lines19allows the members 578 to fold u like a parallel ruler, parallel withthe shaft 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent isv 1. In an apparatus of the character described, avertically disposed main frame lelogram hinged to the front of themainframe extending forwardly therefrom and having connecting links at-itsforward end, a similar parallelogram frame hinged to the rear of themain frame and having a rudder and turning means connected therewith,and

horizontal aeroplanes having their forward ends hinged to the main frameextending rearwardly and capable of being tilted upward and downwardwith relation to a horizontal plane.

2. In an apparatus of the character de f .85 adapted to carry a motor, avertical paralscribed, a main frame with vertically disf posed, hinged,keel-like structures projects ing forwardly and rearwardly therefrom, a

vertical shaft journaled in the main frame,

a pro eller composed of a: series of arms hinge to the shaft one abovethe other, each pair having their outer' ends connected by hinged linksand-capable of being extended into'approximately horizontal position bycentrifugal force, and a flexible fabric having its front edge connectedwith the upper bar of one of said frames, and its lower e ge with thelower bar of the next succeeding scribed, a main frame, a verticallyjournaled shaft lprojectin upwardly therefrom having an en arged' hu atthe top, a series of'arms,

the uppermost of which are pivoted to the upper portion of the hub, andthe lower' arms in vertical line below, to the lower end of the hub,hinged links connecting the outer ends of said pairsof arms, and forminwith the hub, parallelograms capable- 0 being -exte'nded; by centrifugalaction and foldable against the shaft ygravitation -when not in motion,flexible fabrics con nectin the upper bar of each parallelogram with t elower bar'of the nextsucceeding,

vertical flexible flaps having their upper edges fixed to the upperbars, saidflaps capable of dropping to close the space he tween theupper and the lower bars, and a flexible band extending around the outerconnecting links of the ropeller arms.

4. In an apparatus oi the character described, a vertical revolubleshaft, propeller arms hinged to the shaft and capable of extension bycentrifugal force, connecting flexible webs between the upper bar ofeach i arm and the lower bar of the next succeedi ing, whereby inclinedpropeller elements are provided, vertical flaps fixed to the upper ofeach propeller bar and extending loosely l band forming the peripheryfor the extcn 1 ed arms, whereby, when stationary, the device serves asa parachute.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES BE ARD.

Witnesses RIEL J. THOMSON, l/VM. H. DUNN.

